Stefan Hoogerbrugge
02/10/2013
Philadelphia Flyers (5-6-1) at Toronto Maple Leafs (7-5-0)

Arena: Air Canada Center

Puck Drop: 7:00 PM

TV: Sportsnet  Radio: Fan 590

Last Season: (0-3-1)

The Leafs are on a 3 game winning streak and look to keep that momentum going at home, where success has been hard to come by in their first 5 home games (1-4-0). Philadelphia hasn’t had the start they had been hoping for, but are starting to turn it around winning 3 of their last 4 games.

Player Spotlight:

The player spotlight is a new feature that I will be doing regularly. I will pick a player before the game and then watch them closely throughout the match and give some insight on their play.This game I will be keeping a close eye on Korbinian Holzer. He has been playing better every game and is gaining confidence which is allowing him to play at the level we saw when he excelled with the Marlies. 

Key Storylines:

JvR and Luke Schenn: 

This will be the first time Luke Schenn and JvR face off against their old squads. To this point, James van Riemsdyk has improved the Leafs more than Schenn has the Flyers, but it’s early. JvR leads the team in goals and has fit well on a line with Kessel and Bozak. Schenn meanwhile, leads the league in hits with 46, and is 14th in the league and 2nd on the Flyers with 27 blocked shots. It will be interesting to see how both players respond.

Home Game: 

After winning all 3 games on the road trip, the Leafs will be looking to sustain their level of play at home. At the same time, it will be up to Leafs fans at the ACC to provide a hostile atmosphere for visiting opponents, and give an extra energy boost to the buds. 

Physicality:

Man handling the Canadiens is one thing, but matching the physicality of the Flyers is another. Let’s see if the Leafs early season truculence continues against the Broad Street Bullies. 

Check out the postgame shortly after the game is completed.

@theHooger

Share this post